It’s already the end of October, so you might have had some frosty weather or even seen a few snowflakes fall, depending on where you live. Now that fall is in full swing, it’s only getting colder, and winter will be here before we know it. So, to help you out, we’ve put together a list of handy ice and snow removal tips to help you through the winter.

Table Salt

You likely have this item in your kitchen. If you’re in a bind and the cold weather has hit before you were able to prepare for it, table salt can help you with deicing your car. Just rub the salt on your windows the night before to keep your car clear of ice the next morning. Use this option sparingly though, because prolonged use can cause damage to surfaces.

Covers

If you don’t have a garage to park your car in this winter, consider picking up a cover or tarp to cover your car with at night or when you aren’t driving. This will help you save time when it comes to defrosting and clearing off snow.

Leaf Blower

Still have your leaf blower out from fall yard cleanup? Don’t put it away yet! Keep it out to double as a snow blower. After a light snowfall, you can quickly clear your walkways and driveway of snow to keep it from getting back down and turning to ice when it melts.

Shop Vac

You can use a shop vac to either vacuum up the snow and dump it elsewhere, or you can turn it into exhaust mode and double it as a snow blower. Magic!

Kitty Litter

Kitty litter, sand, and birdseed are all great options for giving your vehicle a little extra track on slick surfaces. Keep a bag or box of any one of these in your car for pulling out of the driveway when the ice inevitably hits.

Tall Stakes

Place tall stakes around the corners of your yard so you know how far you need to shovel your driveway and walkways. The last thing you want when the snow melts is to see that you’ve accidentally dug up your lawn or flower garden.

Shovels

Pick the right shovel. Invest in a good plastic or aluminum shovel that will get you through many winters to come. S-shaped shovels are good for heavy, wet snow, and C-shaped shovels are good for light, fluffy snow. Don’t give in to the temptation to get a shovel with a large blade. It might seem like a good idea because it can hold more snow, but snow gets heavy, and shoveling large piles at a time can hurt your back.

Frequency

Shovel the snow often. Every couple inches of snow you get, you should go out and shovel. The more you let it pile up, the more packed down it will get and the more difficult it will be to clear it out.

Placement

Be careful where you place the snow you are removing. Don’t pile it up on wood surfaces or on the foundation walls of your home. Wood can easily become damaged in wet conditions. As for the foundation walls, when the snow melts it will seep into any cracks in the foundation and then can freeze and expand, creating larger faults.